Law on the Warne-path

STUART Law believes last season's Rose Bowl fiasco will add a bit of needle to Lancashire's County Championship clash at Hampshire tomorrow. Shane Warne threatened to forfeit what was the final match of the season on the last day after Lancs refused to declare and set up a run chase.

STUART Law believes last season's Rose Bowl fiasco will add a bit of needle to Lancashire's County Championship clash at Hampshire tomorrow.

Shane Warne threatened to forfeit what was the final match of the season on the last day after Lancs refused to declare and set up a run chase.

In the end, the Aussie spinner resorted to joke bowling, lobbing balls as high as he could in the air to the perplexed Lancashire batsmen.

And there will be extra spice to this week's clash, with Lancashire's England trio Andrew Flintoff, Saj Mahmood and Jimmy Anderson coming up against their Ashes rivals Warne and Stuart Clark as well as international team-mate Kevin Pietersen.

Needle

"With a bit of needle from the last game of last year, I think a few players will be gearing up to the game as a showdown, and it should be," said Law.

"Hampshire are a good side and play good cricket and we go there with plenty to play for and we are a good cricket team as well. I am looking forward to it. I think Warney gets on well with Fred, but I'm sure there will be a bit of banter. That's what cricket is all about, though. It will be good to be a fly on the wall, or to be standing at slip!

"There is quality in both sides and it probably is the closest you will get to a Test match. In fact, it is probably a tougher game than you would get against some of the sides that play Test cricket. It should be good fun," said the 38-year-old former Aussie Test ace.

Although Lancashire will still be without Muttiah Muralitharan, who is not due to arrive in England until Thursday, their other overseas player Brad Hodge will make his season's Championship bow after blasting 130 in Sunday's Friends Provident Trophy win over Northants at Old Trafford.

"Brad is tired of watching cricket, and wants to play now," said Law. "He is a class player. I wish we had him for six months every year because he'd get 1,500 runs at least, he is that sort of player."